Are you a first-time pregnant mom? Are you feeling like poop and not able to keep your eyes open even while walking? Hey, wake up and read this…

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Those feelings of excitement mixed with consuming fear are N O R M A L! It's okay, you are not alone. I promise!

Welcome to motherhood!

We are glad you are joining this elite club of warriors, otherwise known as mommy.

We are a beast all our own. We do more than the average bee and wear even more hats! You are now an event planner, organizer, nurse, doctor, counselor, mediator, cook, comforter, editor, and much more.

Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms

20 Unique Baby Girl Names to make you Swoon!

Why I am here and who I am:

Hey mama, I am Trish— AKA Labor Nurse Mama. I am a labor and delivery nurse with over 15 years of high-risk OB experience. I am also a mama to 7 kids and have given birth to 6. This means I am quite familiar with the postpartum period and how to navigate it. I am the online birth class educator for Calm Labor Confident Birth and The VBAC Lab birth classes and the mama expert inside our Calm Mama Society a pregnancy & postpartum membership community! I am passionate about your birth and motherhood journey! You can find me over on IG teaching over 230k mamas daily. I am passionate about your birth and motherhood journey!

We make a small commission from some of the links (you dont pay any more for using our links); however some of the recommendations, we do not earn anything; we just love em and want you to know about them. Click here for our full disclosure. Thank you!

Why I am here and who I am:

Tip #1:

Every First-time mom needs to have a journal. It doesn't have to be specific to pregnancy. However, you should be journaling. Pregnancy brain is real, and it's brutal. All these nifty things you're feeling and thinking, they could be gone next month. POOF! Gone. Write them down. Just take the time to at least journal weekly. I love looking back through my pregnancy journals. Mainly because I was pregnant in 1990 and in 2014 which is interesting. Yep, I'm slightly crazy, but that's okay because we are going to be great friends and you will appreciate my insane self.

In the meantime, you need to grab our free download with weekly journaling opportunities for the first-time pregnant mom. It's super simple yet allows you to capture memories throughout the pregnancy.

Tip #2:

A first-time mom doesn't have to know everything right away. You will never know it all; I sure don't. That's why we have Pinterest. Find your tribe and surround yourself with those you trust and respect. Ask questions and listen to their responses. But take it slow, a first-time mom doesn't have to have it all figured out.

Join our facebook group tribe for moms! It's a new group with moms available to answer your questions.

Related post: Is morning sickness kicking your rear?

Tip #3:

Pick your provider wisely and use recommendations. I can not stress enough, the importance of your provider who delivers your baby. I know I mentioned this is important if you want to go natural and with an epidural. However, it warrants another emphasis. This is my field ladies. Trust me on this and do your due diligence, head over to this post and grab your FREE PROVIDER QUESTIONAIRE. I poured all my experience into it, in the hopes that you are at peace with your choice of providers.

I had a friend switch at 35 weeks and she would tell you that it made all the difference in the world to feel supported and to trust her OB.

Tip #4:

The only people who need to make the choices for a first-time pregnant mom during her pregnancy are the mom and her partner. If you are single, then guess what, you choose what's best.

Not your mom, your aunt, his mom and not your best friend either.

My main tip is to educate yourself and make informed decisions, not ones based on emotion.

Examples of choices first-time moms make during pregnancy:

who delivers the baby
finding out the gender
which genetic testing you want or don't want
flu shot
TDAP shot
natural birth
epidural or not
IV medications during labor
Induction of labor
Who comes into the labor room

First-time pregnant mom tip #5:

Now, let's talk about all the choices you make for your baby. This doesn't mean you don't seek wisdom from your tribe. What this means is that you will ultimately have many decisions to make over the years and they are yours to make. I am a breastfeeding advocate. I mean its the best thing for the baby. Seriously, I can talk about the benefits and the joys of breastfeeding all day long. Having mentioned all that, If you don't want to breastfeed that choice belongs to you alone. As long as you are not making decisions that endanger your baby, then keep on choosing what works for you.

Examples of choices a first-time pregnant mom will make for her baby:

breast or bottle
circumcision or not
who holds the baby when they are a newborn
if you stay home or go out in the first few weeks
oh no, this is a big one, Co-sleep or not
Vitamin K shot at birth
Erythromycin Ointment at birth
vaccinations at birth and beyond
when to start solids

Tip #6: Last but not least

Fear is normal but do not allow it to consume you. You are probably scared about vaginal tearing. I get it every first-time pregnant mom is obsessed with this fear but remember this, your body was made to deliver your baby, and your baby was made for your body. It's entirely made to do its job. Yes, sometimes things go wrong. Which is something you can deal with because you are a momma. Remember the warrior club and all.

Plus, if you take my advice and choose your provider wisely, then you can trust him/her to make wise decisions for you and your baby. I truly believe education is also the answer to fear as well. Fear is often tethered to the unknown. Take those fears and seek people out, women like me, a mom of seven and a labor nurse, and ask away.

Finally, don't carry these fears alone! You can ask questions in the comment section below or feel free to use our contact page. (Join our Facebook Community and get reassurance from other Moms!)

And keep in mind, If you poop while pushing then you are pushing correctly.

Check out our postpartum kit recommendations and be prepared!

Just a little Disclaimer: As always, I am just writing my thoughts and what I’ve learned along the way. Although I am a labor and delivery RN, This is not medical advice. You should always seek and follow the advice of your care provider.